concept of home (neither here nor there)
by Sara Jaye
Summary: Their parents fought to make the world a better place for them, and they all died. Sometimes Severa wonders if they're next, but when Noire looks at her with those trusting eyes she can't bring herself to say it out loud.


Of _course_ they wouldn't have enough blankets for everyone. Of course Laurent would complain that picking up extras cost too much money, and think that two people to a blanket was _acceptable_. Everyone knew he just wanted an excuse to cozy up to Lucina, especially when he announced he would be picking the pairs. _Great_, Severa thought, this meant he'd stick her with that slob Kjelle or that pervert Inigo.

One by one, he ticked off the pairs and handed out the blankets. Lucina and himself. (Of course.) Nah and Yarne. Morgan and Madelyn. (Okay, that was a given.) Brady and Gerome. Kjelle and Cynthia. (Phew!) Inigo and Owain. (Double phew!). Severa and...Noire.

Noire glanced trustingly over at her, and suddenly Severa lost most of her will to complain.

"To the tents, everyone," Laurent commanded as soon as the blankets were handed out. "We'll need our rest if we're going to fight our way to Regna Ferox tomorrow." Regna Ferox, Severa thought, was it just her or did that place always wind up saving their butts? First their parents, now them. Even with Basilio and Flavia dead, apparently it was among the safer places to be right now.

How long would _that_ last, though? How long before every so-called "safe spot" on the continent was overrun with Risen and all they could do was sit and wait to die?

She sighed, taking Noire's hand and leading her into the tent farthest to the right, the one farthest from the river. Noire didn't like to sleep near water, it made her nervous that some wild animal would take a drink and then decide to eat _them_. There were much worse things to worry about than wild animals lately, but Severa could never bring herself to argue with the unstable archer.

She let Noire get into the bedroll first, then wrapped them both up in the blanket. It was a thick, soft wool; at least Laurent had allowed for _that_ when they bought them. Not only did Severa refuse to sleep under some cheap flimsy thing but Noire got cold easily at night. Not that was _worried_ or anything...okay, she was. Who wouldn't be? Noire was easily the most fragile of them, even the tiny Nah had better constitution than her.

She could feel the girl shivering against her, shaky hands clutching her arm for comfort, hear the occasional sniffle. Noire had never been made of the strongest stuff but lately she seemed more pitiful and fragile, more in need of everyone's protection than ever. Kjelle had had to carry her on her back during the last stretch of the day's march, Laurent was always trying to keep her from carrying anything heavier than a pillow and Brady was always asking if she was feeling okay.

"Do you have enough?" she asked. "I mean, it's cold and you get sick so easily, so..."

"I-I'm fine, Severa," Noire muttered, sniffling. "Just don't leave me, okay? Let me stay like this..."

"Um, okay. I wasn't _going_ anywhere." Severa frowned as the girl kept shivering, she had so many feelings and thoughts about this whole situation and half of them revolved around Noire. How this fragile girl had survived so long, the fact that if they weren't all in this together she'd be _dead_ by now, the fact that_ Madelyn_ was recovering from a cold and Noire was the one they had to worry about. Even a thick wool blanket didn't seem enough to keep her warm. Severa sighed, pushing some of her half of the blanket over to the other girl. "Here, you need it more."

"T-thanks, Severa." The shivering didn't stop completely but it lessened enough for Severa to relax.

"Don't worry about it."

"Um, Severa?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to go home," Noire sighed.

"Me too." Severa knew she didn't mean just a place. Home was green hills and a clear sky, smiling shopkeepers, friendly villagers, bustling towns, their parents still alive and well. Home was what they'd lost a long time ago and would probably never get back. "I just...keep thinking of Mother, perfect and smiling and doing everything for everyone. Daddy saying things in his own way that made sense to us and confused everyone else."

"Mm..." Noire nodded. "It's nice to have such good memories. I...I never could be sure if my mother loved me. I know she cared in her own way while Father was alive, but after he died..."

"She snapped. Practiced her crazy magic on you until you broke," Severa said bitterly. "She was always scary, but the things she did-"

"I-I know," Noire interrupted. "She was wrong, but...when it mattered, she gave her life to save me. So in the end maybe she did love me."

"Maybe." Severa shifted to wrap her arm around the girl. "My mother said she was fighting for what was important and I thought she meant Chrom's memory. She didn't even try to deny it, but maybe I was wrong," she sighed. "Maybe it's easier to blame her than myself."

"When I was little, my mother and father would always tell me they were fighting to make a better world for us kids," Noire said. "But..."

"I know, everything went to hell anyway," Severa muttered. "But we can't quit no matter how bad things get! They wouldn't want that! W-we'll find the gemstones, wherever they are, and we'll make it to Mount Prism some way."

"I guess," Noire murmured, pulling closer to her. "If you think we'll be okay, I know we will be, Severa." Severa blinked.

"_Me_?"

"I-it's not that I don't trust Lucina, far from it! She's the perfect leader," Noire said. "But she has to take care of us all. You take care of _me_." She smiled. "You're so hard on everyone else and you have every right to be mad at me when I'm such a burden on everyone, but you never are." Severa's cheeks flushed and she turned away for a moment, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand.

"Yeah, well...I-I only get mad at people who think they're so perfect or act whiny and stupid all the time! Yelling at you would be like kicking a puppy. While it's sleeping!" She sighed, smiling a little. "Besides, it's not _your_ fault you're so delicate. I...I want to make sure you'll be safe. I always have." She wrapped both arms around Noire, pulling the blanket more tightly around them. "If anyone's gonna try to hurt you, they have to get through me first."

"Mm..." Noire sniffled, and this time Severa knew it wasn't from the cold. "Thank you, Severa."

"Don't mention it." Severa closed her eyes. "Now go to sleep, okay? The cold won't be so bad if you sleep."

"Okay..."

Soon, she couldn't feel any shivering, only Noire's deep breathing, and Severa rested her cheek against the other girl's hair. To have someone believe in her this much was a great weight on her shoulders, but she would shoulder it as long as she needed to, for Noire's sake.


End file.
